Algae (or alga, singularly), belonging to the kingdom Protista, are largely aquatic organisms that are typically fully photosynthetic but differ from plants in that they lack true roots, stems, leaves, and gametes (the male and female parts of plants). Algae can vary in size from less than two micrometers (in the case of micromonas, a species of green algae) to over 200 feet tall (in the case of some species of giant sea kelps)!
In total, there are eight main groups of algae: blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria), diatoms, chlorophyta (or green algae), euglenophyta, dinoflagellate, chrysophyta (commonly called golden algae), phaeophyta (often known as brown algae), and rhodophyta (or red algae). Among these, alga also comes in two forms: planktonic and filamentous (or string).
Why Is Identifying Algae Important?
Knowing the type of alga that is present in your pond is exceptionally important. For example, the presence of cyanobacteria usually indicates stagnant waters with low dissolved oxygen levels and too many nutrients (most likely from fertilizer run-off), while green algae generally indicates good (or at least acceptable) water quality. Diatoms are naturally present in virtually every body of water, from the vast ocean to your little pond to moisture that has collected on a leaf, and are truly incredible microscopic organisms that are responsible for producing more oxygen than all of Earth’s rainforests combined. In fact, it is estimated that 25%-40% of our oxygen is manufactured by diatoms, or as much as every third breath that we breathe!
However, it is important to note that too much of any type of algae (with the exception of diatoms!) can be harmful, as they may lead to algal blooms and fish deaths. This is why identifying what algae is present in your pond, and taking appropriate steps to control its growth when necessary, makes up an important aspect of good pond and fish keeping.
Pond Algae Identification – Which Algae Is That?
Within the 8 main groups (phyla) mentioned above are dozens of smaller groups encompassing more than one million species of algae – here we will simply discuss the groups that are most common in garden ponds and lakes, with pictures to help with identification:
1) Green Water Algae
Green algae, belonging to the family chlorophyta, is the most diverse group of algae encompassing over 7,000 species. These algae are present in most healthy pond and lake ecosystems, as they are at the base of the food web. Their chloroplasts contain both chlorophyll A and B, accounting for their typical bright green coloration, though they may also be various hues of yellow. In addition to providing food for a variety of creatures from fish to insects to waterfowl, green algae are also primary producers, generating oxygen and energy/nutrients that are then utilized by organisms that are unable to produce their own. Conversely, as previously mentioned, too much green algae (often as a result of nutrient-rich water) can result in eutrophication, ultimately resulting in depleted oxygen levels and the death of your pond’s inhabitants, especially in warmer summer months months. It’s important to control the spread of green water algae before it gets to this point, with the most effective treatments being UV clarification, water dyes, and good filtration and maintenance.
2) Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae)
As indicated by its name, cyanobacteria, while commonly referred to as blue-green algae, is not a true algae but rather a type of bacteria that looks deceivingly similar to algae. They prefer shallow, warm, still water that is rich in nutrients…in other words, they thrive in unhealthy, low quality aquatic ecosystems! They typically form dense, scum-like floating mats on the water’s surface and can range in color from the characteristic blue-green to green, yellow, purple, or brown. If your pond or lake has a strong, unpleasant odor and algae-like mats that are viscous and slimy, you likely have a cyanobacteria bloom. Another way to determine whether you have an overabundance of cyanobacteria (the presence of some cyanobacteria is normal and not harmful) is to conduct a water quality test – poor water quality with low oxygen and high nitrogen levels are a decent indicator of cyanobacteria presence, particularly if accompanied by a foul smell and dead or dying/unhealthy fish. When testing your water, be sure to wear protective clothing such as rubber gloves and waders – cyanobacteria contain various toxins that are harmful if touched or ingested. Different types of cyanobacteria present different health hazards, so be sure to minimize your exposure and thoroughly clean yourself and your clothing if you come into contact with any.
When their numbers aren’t out of control, cyanobacteria do have some ecological benefits: some species of fungi and lichen have formed a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, allowing it to live in their roots where the bacteria help to fix nitrogen into a form that is usable by the plant or fungus. Cyanobacteria is also present in many soils, where they also aid in nitrogen fixation that is essential for proper ecosystem functioning. In addition, the chloroplasts of modern plants (the part a plant’s cells that conducts photosynthesis and produces food for the plant) actually developed from ancestral cyanobacteria! Plant chloroplasts evolved from cyanobacteria hundreds of millions of years ago via endosymbiosis, a process that entails one organism living within another in such a way that both organisms benefit while adapting and evolving together over time. With this in mind, plant life as we know it would not exist were it not for cyanobacteria – so it’s certainly not all bad!
3) String Algae (Filamentous)
String algae, also called filamentous algae, are single-celled organisms that link together to form – you guessed it! – long strings that in turn intertwine and form mats. Still water, plenty of sunlight, and the proper concoction of nutrients give rise to this algae, which starts off forming on rocks and substrate at the bottom of the water and then rises to the water’s surface as it links together, grows, and oxygen bubbles collect within the hair-like fibers, creating buoyancy. Belonging to the chlorophyta family and therefore a variety of green algae, string algae are most commonly green but can also be shades of yellow or brown. Some familiar filamentous algae species are blanketweed or watersilk (spirogyra), horsehair algae (pithophora), and cotton algae (cladophora).
Like most types of green algae, string algae are an essential food source for young fish, waterfowl, and aquatic insects, and also generate oxygen. Their propensity to colonize into mats can create issues such as clogging water filters and pumps, blocking sunlight, consuming dissolved oxygen, generating ammonia (and then converting that into potentially harmful nitrates and nitrites), and ultimately depleting water quality. You can control filamentous algae by utilizing naturally occurring microbes, vacuuming/raking out any mats that are present, and regularly monitoring your water quality to prevent algae overgrowth.
4) Euglena Algae
Euglena, belonging to the family euglenaceae and phyla euglenophyta, contains over 1,000 species and is incredibly diverse and resilient, able to exist in any water body around the world as well as most moist soil types. Typically green or red, this type of algae is often quite alarming – and for good reason. When euglena is present, you typically won’t know it until a bloom occurs, often turning water bright crimson in color. These blooms are incredibly toxic, and will result in fish and vegetation die offs unless brought under control. Unfortunately, most euglena species do not respond to manual or biological controls, so you’ll have to either entirely drain your water body and replace it with fresh water, or utilize chemical products to kill off the bloom. The most effective chemical controls for euglena often contain copper or sodium carbonate. The downside of employing chemical controls, as discussed in previous articles, is the potential to harm the flora and fauna in your lake or pond. There are no known benefits of euglena, other than its presence indicating poor water quality and thus warning that something needs to change.
5) Chara Algae
Chara, or muskgrass, also belongs to the green algae family. This type of alga is often mistaken for a plant because they possess structures that look quite similar to leaves and stems. However, these are not true leaves or stems, nor does it possess reproductive structures (such as ovum or flowers). It’s not known to be overly detrimental to pond health, other than producing a pungent odor similar to that of garlic (giving rise to the name muskgrass!), and, like most algae, being prone to overgrowth. In fact, it’s known as the “filter algae,” as it naturally helps to filter out pollutants and add dissolved oxygen to the water. Muskgrass is commonly consumed by waterfowl and provides habitat for aquatic insects, which are in turn eaten by fish. Their root-like structures, called rhizoids, also help to stabilize the sediment at the water’s bottom, thus preventing murky water.
Is Algae Bad for Ponds, Lakes & Fish?
Overall, algae is natural and should not be immediately treated as a pest, as it’s often essential for proper and healthy ecosystem functioning. Aiding in water oxygenation and purification; providing food for fish, insects, and waterfowl; and offering spawning and shelter sites for fish, depending on the algae species, algae has a myriad of positive benefits. However, the point at which you should consider removing or at least controlling algae growth is when your water quality has diminished and/or you’ve noticed blooms or floating mats upon the water’s surface. To do this, you can try manual removal (rakes, filters, vacuums, etc.), algae-eating fish species like otocinclus catfish or plecostomus, biologic controls that will naturally break down the algae, chemical means (again, these may have adverse impacts on the rest of your pond’s residents as well), incorporating plants that will help to purify the water and soak up any excess nutrients that algae thrive on, or fully draining your pond and refilling it with fresh, clean water.
In my new pond I have noticed small amounts of algae growing and was not sure if I should remove it or if it was harming my fish. After reading this article is was very helpful for me to identify my algae and know that my koi will be fine.
Hi Cooper,
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad the article was helpful to you! Best of luck with the new pond.
Hi Chris not sure if you’ll see this but my pond is cycling has been for 5/6 weeks and I have hazy green algae in the water…not completely green. Running a negative edge to bog filter. Assuming when this system matures the algae will disappear?. I know I’m not running UV or planning to on this pond. Any help appreciated, Dave
Hi David,
Sorry for the slow reply!
It sounds like your pond is going through the normal phase of cycling and the green algae will indeed eventually clear up. However, there are some factors that can affect the speed and effectiveness of this process, such as the amount of sunlight, the water temperature, the fish load, and the filtration system. You may want to check these parameters and adjust them if needed. For example, you could add some marginal shade plants or floating plants to reduce sunlight exposure at the surface, or increase overall aeration by adding in a small fountain or dedicated aeration unit (solar would work!). UV is certainly not necessary for a healthy pond, but it can help with algae control if you have a persistent problem. I hope this helps and you enjoy your pond!
My pond in central Texas develops floating mats of brownish/grey color. The fish and waterfowl apparently don’t mind and seem to be doing very well. The water has a green tint with about 2 feet of visibility. The mats are nevertheless fairly disgusting. I have considered fabricating a floating rake to pull the reachable mats to shore and onto the bank for sun drying and natural decomposition. I am concerned about toxic algae but believe this algae to be of the non-toxic variety. An aerator is in continuous operation in the deepest area (20’ deep). I have continuous water inflow from a dedicated well. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. And thanks!
Hi W. Robbins,
This doesn’t sound like harmful or toxic algae, like you said. However, too much of any type of algae can be potentially harmful, especially when they form thick mats that block out sunlight. I think your idea of raking some of the mats out is a great one! A pond vacuum or net would work well, too. Don’t worry too much if you can’t get all of it – algae does help to provide oxygen to the water, so just raking/vacuuming some of it out as needed should be good.
Let us know what you decide to do, and how it works for you!
We came home from a short vacation and found orangey brown globs and some larger grey white blobs that resemble poop or mold on the pond edge(13 acres that has two cow pastures that utilizee it).
Hi Denise,
Those both sound like different varieties of algae beginning to bloom, and both are often caused by nutrient imbalance. This makes sense, given that you mentioned two different cow pastures utilize the pond! Likely there is runoff from the pastures. I would recommend scooping out any algae that you can easily get to with a net, aquatic rake, or shovel, and then add in a beneficial bacteria supplement that will help feed on the algae and keep things more balanced. If you don’t already have them, I would also recommend installing a pond filter and an aerator to keep things filtered, circulated, and oxygenated to help prevent algae overgrowth in the future.
We used to have clear pond , until a cattle feed lot moved next to us . We now have algae changing from green to brown to red . Wondering what type algae we have and what we can do to fix the problem . We have horses and this is terrifying
Hi Lesia,
Apologies for the late reply! This is likely multiple types of algae that are flourishing thanks to the nutrient overload caused by runoff from the cattle farm from manure, food, etc. I would recommend planting as many marginal plants and submerged plants as you can to help soak up excess nutrients and oxygenate the water. If you don’t already have filter and aerator systems, those will help, too. A UV filter may be particularly useful to you, as it will help kill off algae. We also recommend manually removing as much of the algae as you can with aquatic rakes, vacuums, nets, etc. and then add in a beneficial bacteria supplement. There is no amount of beneficial bacteria that will be harmful to your horses. Rather, the bacteria will set to work immediately on consuming the algae and cattle runoff. You’re likely to notice cloudy pond water after a week or two – this is completely normal, a result of the bacteria doing their job and also multiplying, and should subside within a week or two. Over time, the bacteria will continue to multiply and eventually help create a pond system that is better able to self-regulate. If you can, perhaps consider lining the pond or building a wall around part of it to reduce the amount of runoff that is able to get into it from the cattle farm.
This might seem overwhelming, but each of these is a small step you can take to improve things in your pond over time. Your first steps are to manually remove as much of the algae as you can and dispose of it in the trash, and then add beneficial bacteria to help eat through the rest. Progress to the other tips from there! We have a few guides on filter plants, as well as beneficial bacteria and filters here:
https://pondinformer.com/best-marginal-bog-pond-plants/ (the title says bog plants, but will work for your pond, too)
If your pond is more than a few feet deep, some of these may work for you: https://pondinformer.com/best-deep-water-pond-plants/
https://pondinformer.com/best-oxygenating-pond-plants/
https://pondinformer.com/best-beneficial-bacteria-ponds/
If you want to try generating your own beneficial bacteria: https://pondinformer.com/how-to-grow-pond-bacteria/
https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-filters/
If you would like a filter with built-in UV: https://pondinformer.com/best-uv-pond-clarifiers/
https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-air-pump/
I’ve lived in my home for 17yrs & it has a pond approx. 30′ long x 3′-7′ wide. It has 3 rocks w/holes that the water circulates through and helps aerate the water. Over the last 6mths or so there is a gelatinous brown algae (?) that has developed on the rock surfaces on the bottom and sides of the pond. I haven’t been able to identify it this is an algae or some other type of plant. Any idea what the heck it is?
Hi Barbara,
Does the algae smell terribly? If not, it sounds like brown algae, also known as silica algae. Basically, it’s a buildup of diatoms (diatoms are the microscopic, helpful form of algae, and generate a ton of oxygen!) as they work to break down certain forms of organic matter present in the water, and they attach to surfaces like rocks that are easy to hold onto. You can remove the brown algae if you’d like, but it’s not harmful and in fact some fish enjoy eating it.
We. Have a small pond, no fish (because my dog would go crazy). We are getting some green algae that looks like snot (sorry). I have parrots feather and water lillies in it to keep the algae out, but it’s not working. We also have a waterfall to keep the water moving and a pump with filter. What else can we do to keep this out?
Hi Cathy,
It sounds like a type of slime algae, and those can indeed be a pain! The plants are a great addition, but those are more of a long-term solution to algae as they take time to develop enough to control large amounts of algae like that. I would suggest manually removing the algae from the surface with a rake, net, or pond vacuum, and also using some barley straw. As the barley straw breaks down, it releases compounds that kill off the algae and prevent regrowth. It takes some time to work, but it will work long term. As an added bonus, it usually only needs to be used every 6 months or so, as there’s a continual slow release of the compounds. You may also consider adding in some beneficial bacteria, as there’s likely an imbalance of nutrients if slime algae is forming. The beneficial bacteria will work to eat the algae and any harmful bacteria contributing to its growth.
If you’d like some more info on general algae removal, we have an article here: https://pondinformer.com/how-to-get-rid-of-algae-pond/
Here is more info on barley straw: https://pondinformer.com/how-to-use-pond-barley-straw/
We have two articles exploring beneficial bacteria: https://pondinformer.com/how-to-grow-pond-bacteria/ and https://pondinformer.com/best-beneficial-bacteria-ponds/
I hope that this helps! Best of luck!
We have a small pond with 6 gold fish and 1 ghost koi we’ve only had the pond for about 3 to 4 months we have a water fall also which has a small amount of green algae on it but the pond itself has a black stuff round the sides it looks like dirt but when you wipe it it looks like sludge I don’t know what it is or if it’s harmful.
Hi Julie,
Usually, sludge is a warning sign of a developing water quality imbalance. Test your water quality to see what the parameters are, and scrub off any of the sludge that you find before it has a chance to spread and contribute to any water quality issues. You can do this by hand or with an aquatic vacuum. Then I would add some beneficial bacteria to help break down organic matter and harmful bacteria, as a buildup of these is usually what causes black sludge to form.
This guide focuses on black water, but also covers black sludge in various areas of the pond, why it’s there, etc.: https://pondinformer.com/why-is-my-pond-water-black/
If you’re interested in products to help remove it, we have a guide here that reviews different methods: https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-sludge-remover/
Hi, my pond has a green algae that is growing on the sides and any stones in the pond. It is unsightly and I wondered if I needed a specific treatment for it. It is not stringy (I have treated the pond for the long stringy algae successfully) at all it just leaves a thin coating over everthing. Can you advise please?
Hi Ray,
Thanks for reading!
Oftentimes, some green algae (especially if it’s not slimy or stringy) growing on the rocks and other surfaces in ponds isn’t harmful in moderate amounts. To get rid of it or control some of it, your best bet is likely to manually scrub off the walls and stones. For a longer term solution after you remove as much of the algae as you want, if you don’t already have plants I would incorporate some submerged plants to add oxygen and some floating plants like lotus or lily to shade out some of the algae. There are also a few fish species that will readily eat algae! The high fin banded shark is a suckerfish that seeks out algae on surfaces like rocks and walls, so adding in a couple of those might be quite helpful to you. Common plecos, siamese algae eaters, and otocinclus catfish also quite readily eat algae.
i have a pond that has been here for many years my neighbor was cleaning around it today and afterward a thick slime like substance showed up it is blue and very thick almost like a jellyfish what has happen to my pond very concerned
Hi Teresa,
Sorry about the late reply!
Does the slime smell at all? To me, it sounds like blue-green algae, which is actually a type of bacterial bloom known as cyanobacteria. It is natural to have a little of it, but too much and your water will appear thick, stinky, and bluish-green like you described. What was your neighbor doing when cleaning around your pond? If chemicals or fertilizers were involved, it’s possible that those got into the pond and led to the bacterial bloom, as cyanobacteria thrives on excess nutrients. These blooms also typically occur during warmer temperatures, so if you’ve had a warm spell that would likely contribute to the issue as well. If the issue is still going on, I would recommend doing a water quality test. Make sure that you wear protective gloves while doing so, as cyanobacteria can be toxic even to touch.
Hello! This was really helpful and simply put , i was easily able to identify the type of algae in my pond- green algae(pea soup appearance)
I have a mini pond that i made out of a spare bathtub (70gallons roughly) and i have 6 fancy goldfish in it that i rescued. But a few weeks after setting it up i have pea soup algae, so much so that i cannot even see my fish unless they come up to the surface for food.
This was my baby project but the algae is making it so bad.
Water parameters: its bore well(underground) water, moderately hard water with nitrates at around 50ppm (i use a water conditioner to lower the nitrates with each water change)
Ammonia:0
Nitrate:0
I tried to set up a mini bog filter with some plants and added poly fill pre filter but nothing seems to work. It would be great if you could help me.
I have a pond approx. L 20′ x W 3.5′ x D 3.5′ and at one end of the pond a reservoir approx. 4′ x 3′ x D 5′, raised 12″ above pond level. Around the edge of the reservoir area only there is long thick growth of dark green string algae that turns black with age (may by dead algae). Before winter I remove what I can, but even under ice this stuff grows. At one end of the reservoir I formed a dam and the surface of the dam what seams to be the same algae grows black not green, not to long but thick (may be because 50000 gallons of water per hour flow over the dam). The pond is crystal clear due to bio media filters and UV lamp. WHAT IS TRHIS STUFF?
Hi Charles,
It’s a bit hard to say without seeing it, but offhand it sounds like it may be black beard algae (which can change color and be green, red, or obviously black). Is the algae soft to the touch and does it look hair-like? If so, I’d say it’s very likely black beard algae! Unfortunately, this algae is hardy and can be really difficult to get rid of (as you’ve discovered), but the good news is that if you have fish, they love it, and it’s not considered a harmful algae! So long as you keep removing it as needed so it doesn’t grow out of control, BBA can actually provide some really valuable habitat for any fish that you have, plus beneficial aquatic insects like mayfly and caddisfly nymphs. Although, not sure how much that helps if it’s only growing around the reservoir. BBA tends to do best in high-phosphate, low CO2 environments (or highly-fluctuating CO2 environments, like the high flow area of your dam), which could explain why it prefers to grow around the reservoir.
There is a product you can use Excel that is rated as being excellent at killing off BBA, and is essentially liquid, organic carbon that’ll quickly boost your CO2 levels. If it works, you should notice the BBA turning red/pink as it dies. If it turns white, it’s dead.
If you’d like to take and upload a photo for a better ID, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
If you’d like to upload any pictures there that can relatively clearly show the algae, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Hello. We have been struggling with our pond for months now. We had a similar problem before, but we managed to clear the water quite quickly. This time however we can’t seem to clean the water. It looks like the pea soup photo, but there’s also small worm like algae on the bottom of the pond. It’s about 1 cm long and 2 mm wide.
We’ve tried multiple chemical agents to clear the water and we have a UV in the water, but nothing seems to work. We did a 100% water change on 21 Feb 2021, however almost a month later and the water looks exactly the same as before. We have a small pond that overflows to the bottom pond. We used to have plants in the top pond, but we took them out when we started cleaning the top pond. We tried putting them in the bottom pond, but the fish just eat the plants…
Do you know what we could do to clear the water? This is really frustrating because you can only see the fish when they come to the surface to eat.
Hi Anneke,
I can understand why this would be quite frustrating! The first thing you can do is, if you have a pond filter, clean out the filter and then add in some bio-filter media. This will help to naturally clean the pond water while colonizing it with beneficial aerobic bacteria that will work to eat through the algae. We have a guide to all different types of filter media products, including bio-filters, here: https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-filter-media/
You can also utilize an aquatic rake or shovel to try to manually remove as much of the algae as possible. Then, add in a concentrated beneficial bacteria product (you can safely use this in addition to the bio-filter media!). These are basically “good guys” that will help eat through organic waste like sludge as well as algae, and over time will really help clear up your water! Beneficial bacteria are absolutely harmless to fish and plants, and you can’t have too many so no worries on using them in conjunction with the bio-filter if you choose that route. The beneficial bacteria will be able to make a dent faster if you manually remove some of the algae as well, as mentioned before.
We have two different guides on beneficial bacteria that can be found here: https://pondinformer.com/best-beneficial-bacteria-ponds/ and here: https://pondinformer.com/how-to-grow-pond-bacteria/
Do note that if you use the bacteria, they may make your water appear cloudy for a week or two as they colonize and eat through things. This is completely normal, and will subside. As an added bonus, beneficial bacteria are a long-term solution that can be used again and again without harm to your pond or fish.
Also, there are some plants that are not really palatable to fish and should be safe from them munching on them, if you want to try adding in plants again for filtration. If you have goldfish, they don’t like to eat the following species unless they’re very hungry or have a nutrient deficiency: anacharis, anubias, onion plant, hornwort, and waterweed. If you have koi, they find these species to be unpalatable: hornwort, eelgrass, horsetail, and lotus (though you’ll need to be sure to use species of lotus that are native to your region, as lotus and lilies can easily spread out of control). There are also some methods you can use to help keep fish from eating your plants if you have other species. We have a succinct guide on that here: https://pondinformer.com/how-to-keep-koi-from-eating-pond-plants/ Though it mentions koi, these methods work for just about any fish.
Hope that this helps!
We have a 9 acre lake and have a lot of suspended, small green organisms. They are about the thickness of hair and about 1/4″ in length. They appear to be suspended from the lake floor to the surface. They aren’t grouping or connecting but are spread throughout the whole lake. Any idea what these are?
Hi David,
Massive apologies for such a delayed reply! That sounds like a type of filamentous algae to me. These can connect, but can also exist largely free from one another.
We have about 1/4 acre pond. During the summer it gets a coating of green scum. It has the consistency of cornmeal so you can’t scoop it out. It moves around with the wind. Any ideas?
Hi
It has been 2 weeks since I set up a pond. In 4 days time i noticed that the water was turning green. Now I found that there are slimy brown things in the bottom and side of the pond. The water is not that green now.
Wanted to know if this is an algae and what should be done to remedy this.
Thanks in advance
Hi All,
I have been trying for 4 yrs to have Koi in my pond. I have had my water tested numerous times by experts and have spent $$$$$$$& on buying Koi and Goldfish. They all die within a week. I am at my wits end. No one can tell me what is wrong. I test my water regularly and have a clean pond except for brown algae that I can’t seem to get rid of. I have a 6 thousand gallon pond with all the right equipment needed for it. I am not new to ponds and Koi. In our other house I raised them with no problems and they grew and flourished. Not here. I don’t know what else to do or who to turn to for advice. Hope someone can help.
We have a stocked pond on our property. We just noticed what looks like red clay/algae with bubbles over a part of our pond. I don’t want to do anything to hurt our fish. What advice can you give us?
Why don’t you cover watermeal??
I have 2 ornamental fish ponds. They are about 30-40 years old. One is in perfect balance with fish, frogs and oxygenating plants. The other with the same plant/fish ratio developed an orange bubbling scum last summer. The frogs seem unaffected. I started losing gold fish at about 3-4 a week. My dogs were vomiting after drinking the water so this pond has been fenced off. I’ve tried conventional algacides as well as potassium permanganate. Nothing works. Could changing ph do anything to kill this intruder? Any other thoughts? I was told by that I have a Cyanobacteria but can’t seem to find a good control for this. Help!!
I have 2 ornamental fish ponds. They are about 30-40 years old. One is in perfect balance with fish, frogs and oxygenating plants. The other developed an orange bubbling scum last summer. The frogs seem unaffected. I started losing gold fish at about 3-4 a week. My dogs were vomiting after drinking the water so this pond has been fenced off. Ive tried conventional algacides as well as potassium permanganate
My client has a stone fountain with bright yellow algae growing down the sides where the water trickles down. would draining the reservoir and scrubbing the surface of the stone get rid of the algae or would I need to do more to prevent a recurrence?